Finally, the floodgates have been opened and a slew of new albums took over the Billboard 200 Top 10 this week. Glory be!
Starting at the top is ScHoolboy Q, who fulfilled predictions that his Oxymoron album would top the Billboard 200. The album moved 139,000 copies, easily the rapper's best. The release does more to reflect the selling power of Top Dog Entertainment in the wake of Kendrick Lamar's huge 2013. The label is due to release four more albums during 2014. Keep your eyes out.
Nos. 3 through 6 were also new albums. Beck reached his second-highest chart position ever with Morning Phase, which sold a tad more than 87,000 copies, which was a tad more than his previous release Modern Guilt amassed during 2008. Kid Cudi may have released his new set by surprise, but Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon still placed no. 4 while selling 87,000 copies.
Romeo Santos made some huge numbers, even if his American sales for Formula Vol. 2 "only" came to 85,000 copies. It's the most sold by a Latin music artist in one week since RBD's Celestial during 2006. Following him was Dierks Bentley, whose Riser moved 63,000 units. The debut is a step up in sales from his previous two albums, but not quite at the level of 2009's Feel That Fire. The last new album in the Top 10 this week is The Fray with Helios, which came in at no. 8 with 37,000 copies sold (a 50,000 debut drop off since the band's last album).
There were of course some returnees to the Top 10. The Frozen Original Motion Picture Soundtrack saw a slight boost in sales following the Academy Awards, and settled at no. 2 with another 91,000 copies sold. Eric Church and The Outsiders spent a third week on the chart, coming in at no. 7 with 43,000 copies sold. It's the second week in a row the charts have featured multiple country performers. Now 49 will get at least one more week on the chart, selling 34,000 copies and placing no. 9, and Beyoncé's self-titled album might be on its last leg/week, as it sold 32,000 copies and took the no. 10 spot.
Next week should be another big one for new releases, as albums from Pharrell Williams and Rick Ross hit shelves on Tuesday.
